Less "Why?", More "Wow!"

By Les Mottosky

We live in a world that glorifies curiosity. We poke, prod, analyze and chase the next answer like it holds the key to something ultimate. But what if the real thrill – the tangiest juice— isn’t another “why”, but a “wow”?

Curiosity is indispensable. It starts the search, sets the question, and lights the match. But it can also limit our expression of appreciation. It wants results, meaning and control. Astonishment doesn’t. It’s not after answers. It is the moment after them. When the mind, for once, just stops.

In Zen, they say we don’t find the answer. We lose the question. That’s the shift. Curiosity is restless. Astonishment is still. Curiosity opens the door. Astonishment walks through it, looks around, and forgets there even was a door. It's too occupied with hushed appreciation.

The information age has domesticated wonder. It's trained awe to stay in the yard. Notifications, schedules, productivity metrics; these are fences around the vast. Even wonder itself gets turned into content: “Capture it. Monetize it. Share it.” But true astonishment? It evaporates if you try to hold it.

This isn’t about killing curiosity. It’s about letting it lead to something bigger. Let the scientist weep after the equation holds. Let the artist stare, speechless, at what they just made. Let the entrepreneur marvel at the unintended brilliance of what they built.

We don’t need less curiosity. But we might benefit if we remembered what it’s for; it's the launchpad. Not the sky.

Curiosity builds the rocket. Astonishment happens when we look back at Earth and finally shut up.

What might happen to our quality of life – and work – if more of us pursued that?

TAGS: #Audacious Strategies #Wisdom In Leadership #Nature At Work, #Humility #Pursue Astonishment #Adaptation As Innovation

Les Mottosky

Adaptation Strategist // I help organizations turn creativity into their competitive advantage by aligning leadership, culture and strategy to unlock adaptive innovations.

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lesmottosky@mac.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-mottosky-9b94527/